A REDCAR and Cleveland councillor claims the market town of Guisborough has been overlooked in the Covid-19 effort with the focus instead on other more deprived areas in the borough.

Belmont ward councillor Anne Watts has criticised Redcar and Cleveland Council claiming Guisborough was “ignored” by its public health teams despite a high number of coronavirus infections.

In the past 28 days Guisborough had the greatest number of new Covid-19 cases (499) of any ward in the borough, according to the council’s own figures.

Cllr Watts, an independent, said more vaccination sites were required in the town and a joint council/local public health publicity campaign that wasn’t “just on Facebook”.

She said she had asked previously for a more localised approach, which resulted in two pop up vaccination clinics being put on in Guisborough at short notice with ward councillors provided with posters to publicise the events.

In a complaint e-mailed to council leader Mary Lanigan and managing director John Sampson, she said: “Vaccinations then resumed around the borough, but nothing in Guisborough. 

“I had to go to Marton for my booster. When I queried why there was so little effort put into Guisborough, I was told that the effort was focused primarily on areas of deprivation.  

“Does Covid focus primarily in those areas?”

She added: “I have been saying for many months now that the three wards in Guisborough have had the highest number of Covid cases on many occasions, but we have been ignored.

“They [the council] say they put the health of their residents as a top priority, but this has never applied to Guisborough.”

The local authority has been assisting with the national vaccination programme by arranging sessions where people can walk in and receive Covid-19 booster shots and now says it has hit the five figure mark in terms of the number of people that have been jabbed this way.

Councillor Steve Kay, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for health, housing and welfare, said: “There are a number of factors we need to consider with regards to where to hold the pop-up vaccine sessions. 

“This includes areas of low vaccine uptake in Redcar and Cleveland – the Guisborough area currently has the highest vaccine take-up rate in the borough. 

“We also look at areas where availability of the vaccine is limited and, initially, the lowest availability was in East Cleveland. 

“Of the 20 sessions delivered so far, ten have been held in East Cleveland with two in Guisborough.

“Of the 11 sessions so far planned in January, six are in East Cleveland with three in Guisborough on the 15th, 16th and 17th of January. 

“Each session is widely publicised beforehand and in the days up to the sessions taking place our Covid ambassadors and community development teams promote them in communities and with local businesses.”

Cllr Kay added: “The uptake at the sessions has been terrific. To date 10,091 people have been vaccinated and we hope residents will take the opportunity to get their first, second or booster jabs to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. 

“Anyone who is hesitant about having a jab can come along and talk to our friendly and knowledgeable team and we often have a midwife on hand to support mums-to-be around vaccinations.”

Last year, Cllr Watts criticised the council’s “free for all” Covid-19 arrangements, claiming a lack of mask wearing and social distancing in meetings was putting the health of members at risk.

In December the council announced its scrutiny meetings were being taken back online to protect the public, councillors and council staff and help reduce the spread of the virus.

  • For more details on Covid-19 walk-in clinics visit https://teesvalleyccg.nhs.uk/where-and-when-you-can-you-get-a-walk-in-covid-19-jab-in-tees-valley-3/